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The story of Weda Bay and how nature is being sacrificed for mining
LONDON, UK, 11 March 2026 (Guardian) - This is Indonesia’s Weda Bay in 2010. Just 15 years ago, the area was mostly rainforest and coral reefs. The hunter-gatherer Hongana Manyawa tribe, some of whom are uncontacted, lived here. Today, it is home to one of the largest nickel mines in the world. It accounts for nearly 20% of all nickel production. Huge areas of forest have been cleared. Industrial runoff has poisoned the rivers and oceans. Habitat for species found nowhere else on Earth has been destroyed. |
Villagers on PrÃncipe to be paid for protecting the ecosystem
LONDON, UK, 10 March 2026 (Guardian) - At the crumbling colonial farm buildings in Porto Real, agricultural worker Kimilson Lima, 43, has signed the agreement and he’s happy. “With this money we can have a proper floor in the house,” he said. “And an inside toilet.” Lima is part of a ground-breaking experiment on the West African island of Príncipe, where villagers who agree to follow an environmental protection code will reap a quarterly dividend. To date nearly 3,000 have joined the Faya Foundation’s project, more than 60% of the adult population. |
Cape Barren Island trail camera survey captures rare wildlife
LAUNCESTON, Australia, 11 March 2026 (ABC) - Wildlife cameras have snapped rare pictures of blond echidnas, tiny marsupials, and threatened seabirds on a small island off Tasmania's north coast. Rangers say the cameras were the first step in protecting the island's threatened species, and that ongoing management - including controlling the feral cat population - is necessary to prevent extinctions. |
Works on luxury resort on Pemba island go ahead despite concerns
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 10 March 2026 (Mongabay) - A 4 meter high perimeter wall was built alongside a village bordering Ngezi Forest Reserve as construction to a luxury resort estate has started on Zanzibar’s Pemba island. A dirt road cutting through the protected forest has been widened to facilitate the transport of goods. Researchers warn that no environmental planning has been done and that animal and plant species could go extinct if the development goes ahead. |
How island nations can harness tourist dollars for conservation
PHILADELPHIA, US, 11 March 2026 (Pew) - SIDS share a common set of significant challenges to preservation and protection of the natural marine and coastal treasures their economies depend on. Financial constraints, including high debt burdens that often exceed 60% of gross domestic product, consume substantial portions of national budgets and leave limited funding for conservation investments, climate adaptation, or environmental management. These debt challenges are exacerbated by small but growing populations that increase demand for housing, infrastructure, and services, and by the effects of climate change - which all put pressure on fragile coastal ecosystems and limited land resources. |
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